This invention relates generally to storage trunks or the like and more particularly to a storage trunk that may be packaged and shipped and/or stored in the knocked-down condition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For reasons which will become apparent from the following description, there has been a long-standing need for a rigid trunk which can be maintained in inventory and which can also be shipped and subsequently stored in a knocked-down condition. Concurrently there is an equally great need for a knocked-down storage trunk that may be readily assembled with only a minimum of skill and with the simplest of tools. The need for a knocked-down storage trunk having the above-noted characteristics may be most readily appreciated when it is realized that in many instances shipping costs are based on the volume of the material and not necessarily the weight. Since in the erected condition a trunk occupies a substantial volume, the shipping costs are unnecessarily high. It will be further appreciated that in storing a fully erected trunk a large volume is required whereas, if the trunk were capable of being readily dismantled and assembled, storage thereof in a knocked-down condition would require substantially smaller volumes. It follows of course that the handling and manipulation of a smaller volume, knocked-down trunk will be substantially easier than a fully erected trunk. In addition to meeting the requirement of reduced volume, a knocked-down trunk must be equally as rigid as a conventional trunk in order to achieve public acceptance. That there has been a long-standing need for a knocked-down storage trunk is evidenced by the fairly large volume of issued patents that are directed to this subject matter. However, a careful study of the issued patents reveals that, in each instance, there are one or more drawbacks to the construction disclosed which drawbacks overcome and negate any advantages that accrue to the patented construction. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 350,883, 792,731 and 1,398,016 all disclose sectional trunk construction. In each of the aforementioned U.S. Patents a plurality of trunk sections are stacked one above the other and are suitably secured to each other by external latches or bands. While it is true that, in each of the aforementioned US Patents, the several sections can be separated from each other, it is impossible for the sections to nest one within the other to thereby provide a reduced volume of the entire trunk in the knocked-down condition as compared to the volume of the trunk in the erected condition. Furthermore, in each of the aforementioned US Patents each section is a separate entity in that the side and end wall of each section are not separable from the top and bottom walls. U.S. Pat. No. 695,149 discloses a traveling bag with the same concept of separable sections which, in a like manner, neither permits nesting of the sections nor provides a reduced total volume in the knocked-down condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,056,701 is another example of a prior art structure in this field. In this last mentioned patent means are provided for vertically expanding the trunk in order to increase the capacity thereof. To accomplish this a rectangular frame is provided in several sections. However, it will be appreciated, that the prior art trunk just described cannot be knocked down in order to provide a reduced volume even though the trunk is capable of assuming two different volumes. Another representative U.S. Pat. No. 1,080,056, teaches a similar concept in that, when two sections are used a trunk of a particular volume is provided but when a number of intermediate sections are added a larger volume trunk results. Neither of these last two mentioned US Patents provides the highly desirable feature of a reduced volume in the knocked-down condition.
Still other examples of the prior art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,319,072 and 3,814,220. In the second of these last two mentioned patents a collapsible suitcase is disclosed which can fold to a substantially flat condition when not in use. However, the construction is relatively costly since elongated piano hinges are required on four sides thereof in order to permit the flat folding. It will be appreciated that considerable difficulties and hence an increase cost is involved in assembling piano hinges. Moreover, because of the necessity of using piano hinges considerable rigidity must be lost, regardless of any subsequent bracing that is used. For reasons which will be more apparent hereinafter, these last two examples of the prior art exhibit inherent functional limitations since the several sections thereof are permanently secured to each other. That is, these last two examples of the prior art are not capable of interchangeability of the various sections so that should one panel be damaged during handling the entire trunk may be rendered unusable. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved, knocked-down trunk that includes two free-form molded plastic shells. Reinforcing or stiffening ribs may be provided in each of the shells during the molding operation. In the knocked-down condition the two shells are arranged to nest in each other and the four panels that constitute the side and end walls may be placed loosely within one of the shells to thereby reduce the total volume of the trunk in the knocked-down condition. The side and end walls are secured to the lower shell by means of inner and outer concentric clamp rings that are secured to each other by any suitable fasteners. A second set of concentric inner and outer clamp rings are secured to the opposite longitudinal edges of the side and end walls in order to secure them to each other. Inner and outer corner braces are also provided and are secured to each other by the conventional fasteners. The inner and outer corner braces are also retained by the upper and lower sets of concentric inner and outer clamp rings. The upper shell is hinged to one of the two side walls and locks are provided for coupling the opposite side wall to the upper shell.
In one embodiment of the invention the upper and lower concentric clamp rings are secured to the side and end walls and to the lower shell by means of nuts that are captured in the concentric clamp rings and by fasteners that mate therewith. In this first embodiment the screws pass through suitably aligned holes in the side and end walls as well as in the concentric clamp rings in the lower shell. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the side and end walls may be captured in channels formed integrally with the concentric clamp rings by means of ribs that are either formed integrally with the side walls or by means of welts that are secured thereto. If desired, the end walls may have the inner corner braces secured permanently thereto by means of rivets with the captive nut being positioned on the inner corner braces. Alternatively, either the side or end walls may have integrally molded corners.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved knocked-down trunk or the like that occupies a substantially smaller volume in the knocked-down condition than in the erected condition.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved knocked-down trunk, as described above, that includes molded plastic upper and lower shells, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls and ring means for clamping the side and end walls to each other and to the lower shell.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved knocked-down trunk, as described above, wherein one of the two shells nests within the other in knocked-down condition and the remaining portions of the trunk fit within the total volume defined by the two nested shells.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity, and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which forms an intergral part thereof.